Improved submarine shot-conductor



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. H. HULL, OF MILLERSBURG, OHIO.

IMPROVED SUBMARINE SHOT-CONDUCTOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,63l, dated October l1, 1864.

To aZZ whom t 4may concern.-

Bc it known that I, E. H. HULL,'of Millersburg, in the county of Holmes, in the State of Ohio, have invented a new and im proved mode ot' iirin g through water; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature ot' my invention consists in inserting into -the side, bow, or stern of a vessel, b low the water-line, a tube ot' any required 'length and of any permanent material, having a bore somewhat longer than that of the. gun u el in connection therewith, said tubebeing provided at the outer end with a valve ot' india-rubber or other iiexible material, and of such form and construction as to lallow a ball or projectile tired from the interior of the ves sel through the tube to make its exit, and at the same time to exclude the water.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I first construct a tube, A, Figure l, ot' any required length and of any permanent material, having a bore somewhat larger than that ot' the gun used. I insert said tube into the side, bow, or stern of a vessel, having it surrounded at the point ot' insertion by a section or packing of india-rubber, B, Fig. l, said section or packing being so firmly and securely attached to the vessel as to constitute a perfect water tight joint. Said tube A is permanently secured to the gun-carriage J, inside the vessel, in such a manner and position that it will be at all times in range with the gun, leaving a space kbetween for vent, as shown at H, Fig. l. To the outer end of said tube I attach a water-proofvalve, G, of indiarubber or other flexible material, the same being provided with a metallic lining, which is divided into sections, each of which is rmly attached to the end of the tube A by means of a hinge. The aforesaid valve G is of such peculiar form and construction that a ball or projectile find from the gun O through the tube A will readily make its exit, as shown at D, Fig. 2.

Fig. v2 is a sectional view of the interior of the valve and metallic lining, of which E is a section of the hinge by which the several sections F F F of the metallic lining are secured to the end of the tube A. The valve G is secured firmly around and over the end of the tube and metallic lining, said valve being divided into sectims I I I, corresponding in number and size with those of the metallic lining.

The operation of this invention is conducted as follows: When the gun has been charged ready for action, the carriage is run forward, thereby causing the tube to slide through the india-rubber section or packing and protrude to any desired length. The gun is then lred, when the ball passes through the tube and through the valve, which thereuponV immediately closes, thereby excluding the water. The carriage may then be run back again to its former position for another charge.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the operation of ring through water, by means ot' which an enemys vessel may be attacked at the most vulnerable points below the waters line.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rlhe tube A and valve G, together with the metallic lining F F F, when arranged and operating in the manner and for the purpose described.

E. H. HULL.

Witnesses W. R. PoMERoY, A. L. MENUEZ. 

